I may have many things to thank Belle for. She was an enormous part of my life for a very long time and someone that will always be special to me, whether we ever live in the same city again or not. About a year ago I received an sms from Belle in the middle of the night telling me of the fantastic day she had on a rafting pub crawl in a small town called Czech Republic, and how she wished I was there to experience it. Due to this recommendation I ensured I would have four days in Cesky Krumlov, and it has been the best time of my trip so far. So thank you for that message, Belle. You were right. Cesky Krumlov rocks.
We arrived in Cesky at about lunchtime and were immediately bonded as a group of about twenty busabouters in this tiny fairytale town near the Austrian border of Czech Republic. The hostel was built in the 13th century and was once part of the city wall, then turned into a hospital, and finally the hostel which it is now. The staff was fantastic, and it was finally that storied hostel experience I was waiting for. Large dorms, good kitchen and great outdoor area meant that everyone socialized with everyone. It was not a cheap hotel with no bathroom in your room, which is what you get at most hostels. It was a traveler’s hostel where everyone had talked to everyone by the time they left.
We got some lunch near the Vlatava River and then went up to the castle. The bear pits, much to my surprise still have bears in them, and the castle, which is the second largest in Czech, has absolutely amazing view out over the town and the valley it sits in. After walking through the castle complex,, astounded by the beauty of the place and taking some silly photos in the superbly manicured castle gardens, we went back to the hostel to make some dinner. Everyone quickly started to get drunk and we continued to bond with drinking games and card games and helping each other cook. The food was as fantastic as the company and loss that I had felt over the past month having lost my brilliant group of close friends that I left in Perth was eased slightly by this new bunch of people from all over the world (mostly Australia and New Zealand) as we talked and drank the night away.
The next day Craig, Hannah and myself were driven up the highest mountain in the area and given kickbikes to make our own way down the mountain back to the hostel. A kickbike is like a cross between a scooter and a mountain bike and when shooting downhill can pick up some serious speed. There were a couple of hairy moments with some blind corners, but we all safely made it back in time for the rafting.
The rafting is what every has heard about Cesky Krumlov, and with good reason. It is freaking awesome. Groups of between 6-10 people are put in a dingy with a few oars and pushed into the river, where you will paddle from campsite to campsite along the river. Each campsite sells food and beer and if you’re smart you’ve brought some of your own beers to have along the way also. The result is a rafting trip where the only effort you need exert is occasionally steering the boat and tying it to the shore and the campsites. At the beginning of the day, everyone is sober, but nobody knows what they are doing so you will hit a few trees, then in the middle you get the hang of it, then by the end you are so drunk that it all starts to go to shit again, but as you’re so drunk, nobody cares.
The third leg was very eventful for our boat. About 5 minutes down the river, Helen realized she had left her purse at the last stop, and wanted to go back for it. The rest of the boat had to let her know that there was no way we could get back there as the current is very strong, so we continued. Then realized we had lost an oar, which we then saw float past the boat and into a nearby area of reeds, we paddled over there and I got out to get the oar, giving my Ducati Oakley’s to Courtney. I got the oar, but the boat was so far into the reeds, that all the guys had to get out of the boat so it floated enough to get us out. As we pushed through the reeds my glasses got brushed off Courtney’s head and fell to the bottom of the Vlatava. Never to be seen again. After looking for them briefly it was time to let them go and we continued, only to find that somewhere along the way we had lost our three remaining beers.
By the end of the day, we were all drunk. We were all injured in some way, as the Vlatava is quite shallow, very fast flowing and rocky. We were all wet. We were all hungry. We were all aware that we had just experienced one of the greatest days of our respective holidays. Having made single serving holiday friends that may now become actual friends, and memories that we would never lose. Back at the hostel we continued the party for a little while, as most people said that they would extend their stay in Cesky. I however was glad that I still had two days left.
The next morning the reality of extending had sunk in and everybody realized that they had plans which could not be changed. So I lost my new crew at noon when the bus rocked up, taking my new friends away and bringing me people that would soon be my friends, such in the nature and power of Cesky Krumlov. Steve and Nic, whom I had met in Prague arrived with one of their friends, Ryan. I took them for a brief tour of town and then let them explore the castle as I was feeling like crap (not hungover, my throat has been awful since Berlin and would heal if only I would stop having so much fun!). I went back to the hostel and had a bit of a nap, before waking up for free beer Wednesday night. Yes, Free Beer. Hostel 99 at Cesky Krumlov. Gotta love it! I was thinking about having a Beer free day, but instead I had a free beer day. Oh well. That’s fun too. After a night filled with drinking, paying bullshit and listening to the live band in the bar playing really funky, beat filled Gypsy Music, I finally retired to bed.
The next day I awoke knowing that day four would be another day two but with different people. Nic, Steve, Ryan, myself and a few other did the kickbikes down the mountain. We then set up and went out on the rafts for another day of drunken water shenanigans. I tossed a few people in the water on the last leg, and once again lost my new el cheapo sunnies. It seems I owe the Vlatava eye protection for some reason.
That night we all went out to the local (and only) Discotheque. There was a bunch of very serious looking Czech watching out very crazy bunch of tourists dance around like dickheads on the dancefloor. Although one particularly hardcore female punter did jump up on the platform where a pole was fixed and start showing off some of the seedier dance moves in her arsenal, which did take the attention of most of the men. We left after about an hour and went back to the hostel and the club and music were shit and it was really hot up there. We walked home, soaking in a little of Cesky in the darkness of the cobbled street, with the only noise being our own chatter and the river rushing by.
The next morning it was time to pack up my stuff and move out. I handed my keys back to Alvaro, the manager, and thanked him for an amazing time. I let him know that if he was ever in need of staff, he should send me an email, as I would love to be able to work and live in Cesky for an extended period of time. I said my goodbyes to the new friends I had made that I was leaving behind and waited for the bus to arrive. With great pleasure I informed to new arrivals that they had made a brilliant decision, and that Cesky Krumlov would be a spot they would not soon forget.
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